The 2002 season was the Chicago Bears' 83rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth under head coach Dick Jauron.
The team had hopes of returning to the playoffs after an unexpected 13–3 season the previous year, However, the team failed to improve on that record and finished with a 4–12 record and missed the postseason for the second time in three years. The Bears had problems on both sides of the ball, finishing 27th in the league in points scored and 23rd in points allowed. The Bears began the season 2–0, but things quickly fell apart as the team fell into an eight-game losing streak, including a loss at home to the New England Patriots where, despite having a 27–6 lead at some point, the Patriots came back and won the game late in the fourth quarter. After this, the Bears never recovered, finishing 4–12 and in third place in their division, the newly aligned NFC North.
With Soldier Field being rebuilt, the Bears opted to play all of their home games Downstate in Champaign, at Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Illinois. The arrangement was similar to the one made by the newly-relocated Tennessee Oilers five years earlier, in that the Bears continued to be based in Chicago and travelled to Champaign (a two-hour drive to the southwest) only for games, essentially consigning themselves to playing sixteen games on the road. This was the first time since their move out of Wrigley Field that they didn't play home games at Soldier Field.
While (unlike the 1997 Oilers) the venture was reasonably successful at the box office, with the Bears drawing more than 50,000 fans to every game in Champaign and more than 60,000 to all but two games, the Bears never seemed to get used to their "new" home field. Injuries piled up as the season went on for both offense and defense. Starting quarterback Jim Miller was injured throughout the year, leaving the team no choice but to use backup Chris Chandler and rookie third-string quarterback Henry Burris for both spot relief and as starters. 2001 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Anthony Thomas suffered a broken right index finger in Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers. These injuries and the league's 23rd worst turnover differential contributed to the team's franchise record-tying eight-game losing streak and their poor record.
Offseason Additions Subtractions QB Chris Chandler (Falcons) QB Shane Matthews (Redskins) DB Damon Moore (Eagles) RB James Allen (Texans) LB Mike Caldwell (Eagles) WR D'Wayne Bates (Vikings) DT Christian Peter (Colts) T Blake Brockermeyer (Broncos) CB Walt Harris (Colts) FS Tony Parrish (49ers)
2002 expansion draft
+ Chicago Bears selected during the expansion draft Round Overall Name Position Expansion team—17Danny WuerffelQuarterbackHouston Texans
Draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 2002 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeLuke ButkusCenterIllinoisTravis ColemanDefensive backHamptonMike CollinsGuardWake ForestCurry DawsonDefensive tackleAngelo StateJerris EvansWide receiverMissouri Western StateSteve FittsPunterIllinoisJeff GrzeskowiakTackleAkronMaurice HicksRunning backNorth Carolina A&TRodney JonesDefensive tackleUABKiah JohnsonLinebackerTexas A&M–KingsvilleBrad LewisQuarterbackWest VirginiaTony LukinsCornerbackNew Mexico StateEric McCooRunning backPenn StateEdell ShepherdWide receiverSan Jose StateAdrian SingletonSafetyUABDave VolkTackleNebraska
Training camp 2002 marked the first Bears Training Camp at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, after practicing at University of Wisconsin–Platteville from 1984 to 2001. Other candidates in the selection process included universities like Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Illinois State in Normal, Millikin in Decatur, Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Southern Illinois Carbondale and Edwardsville, and Urbana–Champaign; smaller schools like Knox College in Galesburg, Monmouth College in Monmouth, and Rockford College in Rockford; and the Chanute Air Force Base near Rantoul, where the Illinois Fighting Illini held their offseason camps.
The list was eventually narrowed to Eastern Illinois, Millikin, Northern Illinois, and Olivet Nazarene. On July 17, 2001, the Bears announced Olivet Nazarene as the new Training Camp site on a two-year deal.
Staff
Roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue NFL.comrecap 1 Denver Broncos L 3–27 0–1 Memorial Stadium Summary 2 St. Louis Rams W 19–17 1–1 Edward Jones Dome Summary 3 Jacksonville Jaguars L 16–24 1–2 Memorial Stadium Summary 4 Miami Dolphins L 22–24 1–3 Pro Player Stadium Summary
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue NFL.comrecap 1 September 8 Minnesota Vikings W 27–23 1–0 Memorial Stadium Summary 2 September 15 at Atlanta Falcons W 14–13 2–0 Georgia Dome Summary 3 September 22 New Orleans Saints L 23–29 2–1 Memorial Stadium Summary 4 September 29 at Buffalo Bills L 27–33 2–2 Ralph Wilson Stadium Summary 5 Green Bay Packers L 21–34 2–3 Memorial Stadium Summary 6 Bye 7 October 20 at Detroit Lions L 20–23 2–4 Ford Field Summary 8 October 27 at Minnesota Vikings L 7–25 2–5 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Summary 9 November 3 Philadelphia Eagles L 13–19 2–6 Memorial Stadium Summary 10 November 10 New England Patriots L 30–33 2–7 Memorial Stadium Summary 11 at St. Louis Rams L 16–21 2–8 Edward Jones Dome Summary 12 November 24 Detroit Lions W 20–17 3–8 Memorial Stadium Summary 13 December 1 at Green Bay Packers L 20–30 3–9 Lambeau Field Summary 14 at Miami Dolphins L 9–27 3–10 Pro Player Stadium Summary 15 December 15 New York Jets W 20–13 4–10 Memorial Stadium Summary 16 December 22 at Carolina Panthers L 14–24 4–11 Ericsson Stadium Summary 17 December 29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 0–15 4–12 Memorial Stadium Summary
Game summaries Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons
Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 4: at Buffalo Bills
Week 5: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 7: at Detroit Lions
Week 8: at Minnesota Vikings
Week 9: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week 10: vs. New England Patriots
Week 11: at St. Louis Rams
Week 12: vs. Detroit Lions
Week 13: at Green Bay Packers
Week 14: at Miami Dolphins
Week 15: vs. New York Jets
Week 16: at Carolina Panthers
Week 17: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Standings Division
Conference
References
External links Chicago Bears Official Website